summon the ruba caranas. where's my cocktail? vacation over, as we headed home to our regular beds, our daily lives of school and homework and ordinary things, maybe my little brother, maybe i would wake up and look out the window at the night sky and suddenly it would fill with stars and golden mist, and we'd pretend for a second we were somehow deep inside the mickey way, a million winking

lights. but we knew where we really were. we were almost home. ♪ oh, enchanted land of my

childhood. a cultural petri dish from which regular issues forth greatness. new jersey, in case you didn't know it, has got beaches, beautiful beaches, and they're not all crawling with roid-raging trolls with reality shows. i grew up summering on the beaches, and they are awesome. jersey's got farmland, beautiful bedroom communities where that woman from "real housewives" who looks like dr. zeus does not live, nor anyone like her. even the refineries. the endless clover leaves of turnpikes and express ways rolling over the enormous wetlands to me somehow beautiful. to know jersey is to love her. ft. lee, you may have heard of it. some of governor christie's

minions allegedly conspire sod to jam up traffic -- conspired to jam up traffic for a few days. a history of corruption and also where my beloved hiram's s. open since 1932 and pretty much unchanged since, my dad started bringing me and my brother chris here in the '50s. they still honor tradition. my happy place. sometimes i just need that old-time flavor. it seems like chew food. it is a great point of personal satisfaction. i've convinced my dhaurt these are the finest hot dogs in the land. she gets excited to come out, which makes me very happy. thank you. thank you. just like 1958. some things just shouldn't change. my dad used to love pickle-lily, red relish. look at that beauty.

oh, yeah. i'm here to feed my soul, the cultural wellspring that is new jersey. the cultural antidote to everything else. these dogs are amazing. there are not a lot of people in this world courageous enough to match it. down the shore, yeah, we actually talked like that. it was what we did, go down the shore. not just our family from bergen county near the bridge but middle class and working class families from philly and all

over who packed up the kids in the station wagon for the seeminglyiner it mteer it -- jie trip. will ship bottom, surf city, harvey cedars, love ladies, ticking off the town names until finally, finally barney at light. these are all new. that's original. >> yeah, definitely. >> i think i know who lived >> and that's definitely an old school. >> look, face it, it's been how many years? >> 40 -- >> we're old. the lighthouse -- >> definitely remember going to that lighthouse a lot of times. >> the good old days. i want some fried clam strips.

>> absolutely. >> well, our options are limited, shall we say. but holy crap -- this place is filling up. >> i think it's because it's the only place. >> still, who lives here year round? >> we're about to see every single one of them. let's be honest, when we came in the summers, i was the bad one. i was up to every criminal, anti-social behavior -- i didn't smoke dope for the first time here. as a 12-year-old, it was hard to come by. >> i vaguely remember you walking off with some kind of cute girl. >> first kiss, that was an important passage. good. >> it is good. >> i realize now that i hitchhiked regularly. >> yeah. >> mom, dad, i'm going to go to ship bottom twoewith some frien. how are you getting there? hit hitchhiking. have fun.

cool. everybody was hitchhiking. that's how you got places. summertime. you know that sound -- just out of the water, ears filled up pressed to a beach blanket, the squeak of sand nearby, classics illustrated comics waiting at the house. i'd play with my plastic army men in the dunes. there's a smell of beach grass in the dunes. you remember it? >> i love it. >> and on special occasions, clams and drawn butter. no matter where i find them now, they always bring me back here. i remember this place with nothing but fondness. i mean, i can't remember sanl bad memory here. -- a single bad memory here. >> it was great. you would go on the street, your parents didn't need to be with you. have a campfire on the beach at night. set off firecrackers. all the stuff they wouldn't let you do at home.

>> beach would look different. for a couple of days it would be this weird, frothy foam. now we're talking -- >> or jellyfish deliveries. >> infestation of jellyfish. i tried to block that out. that wonderful feeling that you were with other 10-year-olds alone at night on the beach. it was great. >> mm. love clam strips. >> these are good. >> this is awesome. so far, so great. i'm happy. properly battered piece of fish, good tartar sauce. mm. what were your favorite activities? >> building time on the beach, overturning the lifeguard stand. >> yes. they were representatives of the man. >> firecrackers on the beach. >> firecrackers on the beach. >> i put firecrackers in your car, just saying. >> is the them off at the casino. >> perfect, perfect.

it was paradise. america's first dream vacation. the beach as far as america was concerned meaning bathing suits and swimming in the surf was pretty much invented here. atlantic city, rich or working class, it was here for you. back then, you dressed up to walk the boardwalk. it was capitalism at its purest and most assertive, a dream designed for everybody. flashy, utilitarian, upright, deeply unapologetically corrupt. the knife and fork inn was right there through it all. in many ways, its story, a perfect reflection of changing times. established in 1912 as a so-called gentlemen's dining and drinking club, the second floor originally curtained alcoves and

a separate ladies lounge. private rooms on the third and fourth floor were set aside for games of chance and perhaps other activities. vicky goldlevy's dad was the chief photographer for atlantic city from the 1930s through the 1960s. he saw it all, and by extension, so did vicki. what was it like as a kid? >> it was fantastic. walking down the board walk in the summertime was like walking in a carnival -- working in a carnival at midway. the noises. >> there were remnants of the '20s. >> yeah. >> that sensibility, that look. handle bar moustaches, graphic design and illustration, a weird stuck-in-time feel was very much in evidence, even in my time here in the early '60s. the boardwalk was over six miles of amusements, entertainments, parades, and pageants, and never-ending carnival. >> every place you went down the boardwalk was something else to see, and all the stores were like mom and pop stores, all

uniq unique. >> yes. >> i loved it. >> the world-famous steel pier. announcement jar ca-- arcades, barker's, saltwater taffy. i loved the joke shops. a wonderland of juvenile delinquency. you could buy plastic dog crap and vomit and smoke powder. it was something very sinister and forbidden. my parents indulged me when i was here. the menu has changed somewhat since the original. for me a tasty pretzel crusted swordfish over lump crabmeat. for vicki, pan-seared scallops. my memories are largely built around the time before gambling, times were good. the marlboro -- i remember it well, it was largely empty, but it was a magnificent structure. >> i mean, you and i like the nostalgia. people who like coney island like it. i don't know about the young people. >> beautiful buildings are beautiful buildings. you know, a beautiful view is a beautiful view forever.

>> well, yes. >> there's no place with this kind of history and legitimacy. this life has deep, romantic allure. >> i agree with you. i believe in the transition that's coming. i do with all my heart. >> the things that used to be here, it's not, gee, it would be great if that happened again. it is inevitable that that will happen again. it's worth fixing. atlantic city could be chic easily. the bones, the skeleton of the city are beautiful. >> i'm glad you feel that way. >> there was even in very young people, particularly now, beautiful old things. a beautiful old restaurant with really great food. >> we're eating in now -- >> much more interesting than a glass box with good food.

kellogg's® frosted mini-wheats®... 8 layers of wheat... and one that's sweet. to satisfy the adult and kid - in all of us. ♪ nutritious wheat for the adult you've grown into and delicious sweet for the kid you'll never outgrow... feed your inner kidult with frosted mini-wheats®. try new kellogg's mini-wheats harvest delights with sweet drizzle and bits made with real fruit.

the names of atlantic city streets were imprinted on generations of americans who grew up playing "monopoly." drive down today, and you'll see history. the ebb and flow of america's dreamed playing out in the homes you see as you pass by. magnificent mansions mixed with inexpensive two-family houses, cheap takeout, the footprints of a lost world. the riviera of the northeast, still there if you look between. with jet travel in miami and an expanded highway system, things declined as they do. a few visionary geniuses presented a solution. a cure that would overnight make everybody well. make atlantic city shiny and new and prosperous again. men like donald trump. >> i think it's going to be very beneficial to everybody. we look ford operating the taj

mahal successfully for many years to come. >> vast news xanadus would be constructed and would be the rush to atlantic city, eager to tap to what was sure to be a never-ending gusher of prosperity -- casino gambling. when casino gambling was sold to the state of new jersey, atlantic city, as the cureall, was going to bring it back to its glory days, did that ever happen? >> around today, do you think this place is better than it was then? do you think it helped? >> no. i don't. new jersey native brian donahue is a reporter with 20 years' experience focusing on south jersey. doc's oysterhouse, survived the prohibition, great depression, two world wars, numerous declines and rebirths, still here, still great, a symbol of what atlantic was and should be again. could be again. >> it's a complicated, hard process. there are no easy answers, and

casino gambling was seen as an easy answer. >> yes. it sounded like a good idea. >> the plan in effect, 12 casinos here would bring everybody up from the top down. it hasn't worked. now we're left with just 12 casinos. >> if you're looking for an example of lemming-like search for a cliff face from which to tumble, look no further than this $2.4 billion get to rodeo, the revel. it opened in 2012 and closed less than two years later. the most expensive casino in new jersey history. >> the hubris was incredible. >> what were they thinking? >> short term money. at a time when the other casinos opened all over the east coast. >> which is nuts. it's economics 101. casinos, of course, by design neglect the city's existing assets. salt air, a walk by the glorious north atlantic, the greatest of

all the earth's bodies of water. the classic attractions, the restaurants. >> this is what it's going to take for atlantic city to come back. it's going to be in places like this. celebrate the ghosts, you know. >> nice crab cakes at doc's, a big lobster stuffed with crab imperial, souffle, those things are bad for business. the business of taking your money. thank you very much. lovely. that will work. i don't want to sound like i'm down on atlantic city because i see it -- a ludicrously hopeful place. whatever's left should be to my mind hung on to because they're going to come around. ♪ there's nothing funny about losing all your money.

casinos are hard-working employees of the entertainer. these are two of the hardest working people around. married to each other and new jersey. >> i drove three exits on the jersey turnpike. it was $7. if you drive a whole new jersey turnpike, when you get to the end, you have to give them your car. [ laughter ] >> i want to tell you something that i don't generally tell people right away. i'm the inn, passionate about it, cruelty-free lifestyle, no animal or animal byproducts of any kind. i do cheat a little, i eat veal. so tender. how do they get it like that? >> i'm sent. al about jersey italian, particularly spaghetti and meatballs. >> i've been here nearly five to ten times and never had a bad meal. never. >> i know exactly -- >> i wouldn't get the meatballs.

[ laughter ] >> proud long-time residents of new jersey? >> no. i've lived here nine years but only been proud maybe the last two. it's a time to -- >> get up to speed? >> yeah. >> born and bred? >> my whole life. >> he won't leave. i had to make peace with it. >> there was a club at the sands. many times i would get paid on thursday and lose it all and then have to work for free -- there's no worse feeling. >> i know that feeling. >> a nightmare. >> you ever watch a couple in atlantic city? okay, dear, hold this money. don't give it to back no matter what i tell you. i don't care what i say. an hour later, give me my god damn money. i'm not fooling around. you're lucky i brought you here. you're the reason i'm lose, touching my arm when i'm shooting craps. >> is there a particular jersey sense of humor? >> yes. i love jersey audiences so much because i've never one time ever said anything where people have gone, aw. they never get offended. we all have our words, you know,

that we don't like. the ones that affect us the most. i have chicagoer words. as a white woman, the word i don't like is no. i don't hear it that often, but when i do, huh-uh. >> here's the deal with jerseyy -- people land at north and drive up the turnpike. they don't turn off and go up. >> refineries? >> they think that's new jersey. >> how sick it that i think it's beautiful? northern new jersey is the embroidery capital of the world apparently. yon weather it-- i don't know where that's happening. this is taste of my youth. for all of the marvelous things about new jersey, will people ever come across the bridge and the tunnel in the other direction? >> no. >> no. >> okay. >> i did not have to think about that. >> let's go to a club in jerseyy -- no. >> you know what, it's all relative. a 25-year-old guy or girl is going, we're not going to jersey. a 60-year-old is going, i'm

getting out of the city, i'm moving to jersey. >> there's your answer. never going to be hip -- >> where does hipness stop? at what age? >> hipness is overrated. >> it is overrated. you know what, i love living here. i love it. pine valley, the best golf course in the country. trump has beautiful course -- >> wait a minute. trump, i'm not a fan. >> please. ♪ >> every minute that he walks the earth demands a certain complicit to not shout out when you look at that rick pldiculou like a disfigurement, that tacit agreement that i'm not going to bring it up. that's too much to ask of me in trump's case, i want to scream. >> do you know why he puts his names on the building? so the banks know which ones to take back. at least he's a humble guy. >> yeah. "why are you checking your credit score?"

"you don't want to live with mom and dad forever, do you?" "i'm making smoothies!" "so, how can i check my credit score?" "credit karma. don't worry, it's free."

"hmmmm." "credit karma. give yourself some credit."

there are few american cities, plays where things have gone as disastrously wrong as camden, new jersey. it's like the posterchild for everything a city could screw up. once a manufacturing powerhouse,

home to the new york shipbuilding corporation, the campbell's soup company, and rca victor records. a company town. about 80,000 people live here today. that's the same number who were employed during its hayday. nearly 40% of the city's high school students don't graduate. the entire police force replaced by the state. more than one-third of city residents live below the poverty line. voter turnout, not good. if there's anyplace one could be forgiven for just throwing your hands up in the air and giving up, it's here. but no. cities with serious problems need extraordinary people. and towanda jones is seriously an extraordinary person. >> when you give especially to someone who is really in need, you know, i feel -- it makes me feel complete.

>> her late grandfather, walter green jr., was a former military man, an employee of rca, and bodyguard for the great boxer jersey joe wolcott. >> he was just the protector. if you need anything, you go to mr. dynamite. that was his nickname. >> he was also a man who believed in being part of the community. when towanda was 13, she was asked to lead a local drill team. unfortunateli, it lost its funding. walter purchased 80 uniforms and three drums to give them a start. [ chanting ] ♪ >> today css, the camden sisters drill team, which includes the distinguished brothers and taps, the almighty percussion sound, have over 320 participants. >> good job, babies. good job. clap it up for yourselves. [ honking ]

>> we meet a neighborhood stalwart, tony and ruth's steaks, still doing what they do. >> it doesn't get any better than this. >> what was camden like back in the good old days? >> oh, my god. it was so different coming up when i was younger. i didn't have to worry about my life being threatened coming outside. you know, the neighborhood, everyone knew everybody. that sense of community was strong back then. >> you're talking about your childhood as if it was a real long time ago. than long ago. >> right. >> what the hell went wrong? >> people can blame it on the politics, but i think it's too easy. many have failed our children. it's up to the parents to really start getting more involved in the kids' education. know what your child is doing. >> you're putting it principal oh the parents. >> absolutely. >> this is tasty. >> this is delicious. >> the conventional wisdom seems to be it's time to get out. why are you still sneer>> t. >> -- still here? >> the need is in camden. if every decent person leaves,

we never have a chance. in order to be part of the program, they have to maintain a c average or better. it's all about their academics, about nurturing these kids. what's right, what's wrong? the drill team does that. they have different stands they go with every day. a start without a finish. [ chanting ] >> they believe this. you know, they stay it so much until it's embedded. >> she's helped css support itself with financial assistance from fellow parents and some fund-raising, temporary help and donation was small businesses. surprisingly for a group with a national profile, no lasting support from official organizations or national institutions public or private. yet, she per several ears. >> a lot of your practice done outdoors. all weather type of situation? >> yes. we've been under bridges, everything. over 28 years, we've been outside. their safety is most important to me. it's been a blessing and a curse. you'll have the corner boys come up and ask you, miss wa-wa, are

you having practice outside? they're like, today's not a good day. i'm like, okay. all right. thank you very much. >> that's nice. >> right. you know, i appreciate it. trust me. >> how do you keep the kids off the corner? >> i'm quite aware that times are hard. but i try to show them an alternative route, says there's so much more out there than this. some of them call me major pain, but it's out of love. they need that structure and discipline in life, period, to life,ing to to -- life, period,ing to to school. >> because it's fun? >> right. >> it's hard. >> yeah. you're asking people to do a hard thing, and they're doing it. >> yeah. >> i got to ask, i'm going to guess that in the years that you've been doing this, you had to have had your heart broken many times. you had to have seen kids who you really believed in fall by the wayside. i'm guessing a lot. how do you go on? >> we do have a lot of sad stories. but we have more good. our good outweighs the bad, you know. and i keep going just for that

reason, you know. before i was a little hard on myself, and i used to actually think that i could save all the kids. i know that's not the case, you know. i just do the best that i can do. i pray that the next kid doesn't fall by the wayside. >> how do you not become cynical? do you harden your heart? >> no. actually, i have to replenish myself, or i'm not going to be any good to them or my own family. these kids are like precious cargo to me. some have pretty tough lives. some have the responsibility of a 30-something-year-old. they're holding down their homes, and they're only kids. no kid should have to go through that. >> 25 years down the road, where what do you think camden's going to be like? >> wow. i'm praying that it turns into the camden that i remember, and i know that i'm helping our future leaders to become a part of that change. i'm very hopeful.

there's no doubt in my mind that there is going to be a positive camden. no doubt. >> you're going to someday? >> i'm not going anywhere. my pop-pop didn't leave. i'm not leaving. >> i know. philadelphia is right there across the ben franklin bridge. the center of the cheesesteak universe. but what if it isn't? they're better than that, they're bigger than that, and the best cheesesteak in the area might well come from new jersey. donkey's. opened by leon lucas 71 years ago. a heavyweight contender in the 1928 summer olympics in boxing, he was known during his time in the cavalry as the donkey. >> had a punch of a mule. somebody gave him the handle donkey, and he kept it. >> his son robert runs the joint now. this is what they do here.

behold the jersey cheesesteak. >> pleasure to meet you. >> this is the place. the best cheesesteak in south jersey unless i'm mistaken -- >> in new jersey. >> new jersey period. is there a difference between jersey style and philadelphia style? >> we do ours on a round poppyseed kaiser roll. >> really? i'll have one. what's the way to go? anything i need to know? >> no. a regular, cheese and onions. >> beautiful thing. >> i need one, paulie. >> it's round. it's got steak, spices, browned onions, real american cheese such as it is, and a poppyseed roll. fantastic. >> thank you, sir. >> and it is sublime. relish, what do you think? >> hot pepper. >> a little bit? i drove a long way for this. thinking about it the whole way. mm. man. this should be like national landmark right away. this sandwitch is unbelievably good. >> thank you. >> really a thing of beauty. worth driving across the state

in a blizzard for. >> we get a lot of people from philly. no way -- >> fill? >> for sure. >> that's treason. do they change the plates on their car and wear a disguise? i mean -- >> it's different. the poppyseeds help. >> i like the roll. awesome. that's delicious. i think we've learned something here today. jersey cheesesteaks. i'm not saying they're better than philadelphia -- yeah, i am actually. so there. this is great. >> glad you enjoyed it. of my l. but that hasn't stopped me from modeling. my doctor told me about stelara® it helps keep my skin clearer. with only 4 doses a year after 2 starter doses... ...stelara® helps me be in season. stelara® may lower your ability to fight infections and increase your risk of infections. some serious infections require hospitalization. before starting stelara® your doctor should test for tuberculosis. stelara® may increase your risk of cancer. always tell your doctor if you have any sign of infection, have had cancer, or if you develop any new skin growths. do not take stelara® if you are allergic to stelara®

or any of its ingredients. alert your doctor of new or worsening problems including headaches, seizures, confusion and vision problems. these may be signs of a rare, potentially fatal brain condition. serious allergic reactions can occur. tell your doctor if you or anyone in your house needs or has recently received a vaccine. in a medical study, most stelara® patients saw at least 75% clearer skin and the majority were rated as cleared or minimal at 12 weeks. stelara® helps keep my skin clearer. ask your doctor about stelara®.

announcer: ifis the staying awake part...y [train horn blares] sleep train has your ticket to a better night's sleep. with a 100 night low price guarantee, sleep train's love your mattress money back guarantee, same day delivery, plus helpful advice from the sleep experts, it's no wonder more than a million people fall asleep each night on a sleep train mattress! ♪ sleep train [train horn] ♪ your ticket to a better night's sleep ♪

the forests and empty spaces of new jersey are vast and often empty of everything but legend. you live here if you like a quieter life of not being messed with. 1.2 million acres of atlantic cedar, swampland, forests, it goes on and on, seemingly at times forever. it's easy to get lost. ♪ when i was a kid as wye passed through the pine barrens, we

talked about pineys, the inbred tribes of people who lived there. ♪ somewhere between the trees. that what was we believed anyway. paul evans peterson, jeweler, musician, author, and proud piney. ♪ we meet at the disconcertingly friendly lucille's in warren grove for a delicious breakfast. >> the legend was that mother leads had 12 kids, found herself pregnant with a 13th and said, may this child be a devil. there's many lejds th--lege end are told. that one said when the baby was born, it morphed into a creature, flew up the chimney, and was gone into the night. other legends say it killed everybody in the room. supposed to have the head of a horse, wings of a bat, hooves. but people say they've seen horns on it. it breathes fire, it's got a real long tail with a triangle on it. >> it sounds like my little pony with a forked tail. doesn't sound frightening to me.

>> it's supposed to have big, red eyes and some people say the head of a get to. >> a big opponenty -- get to? get to's -- a goat? a goat's a little scarer in. ♪ they have a story to tell the woman and her child from hell ♪ ♪ a mighty pony with wings on flew out into the night ♪ ♪ say they still hear it screaming when the conditions are right ♪ ♪ yeah i swear it's true the pine barren blues ♪ >> what's out there? who are pineys, do they roam the forest searching for souls to capture? >> no. pineys live in the pine barrens. there was a time years ago if

you would have called somebody a piney, you'd have got shot. >> really? >> now people embrace it. people like to be thought of as living off the land. they have bumper stickers, piney power. >> how do you make your living? >> it's good to form blueberries and cranberries. a lot of fishing. a lot of clamming. hopefully oystering is coming back in the delaware bay. the bay supported a lot of jobs. >> the pine barrens have been settled for a long time? >> a long time. some were glass makers and saw the incredible sand we have called sugar sand. pure white, it's perfect for making glass. >> to the point that it didn't have to be washed or processed in any other way. >> there was hundreds of glass works. they're just ruins now. >> thank you. thank you. so it's not like the rest of jersey here. >> oh, no. i hope it stays like it. >> it's like a jersey unto itself. here, like you saw. a long drive to get anywhere.

>> that's good, by the way. really good. >> isn't it great?

kellogg's® frosted mini-wheats®... 8 layers of wheat... and one that's sweet. to satisfy the adult and kid - in all of us. ♪ nutritious wheat for the adult you've grown into and delicious sweet for the kid you'll never outgrow... feed your inner kidult with frosted mini-wheats®. try new kellogg's mini-wheats harvest delights with sweet drizzle and bits made with real fruit. i've had moderate to severe plaque psoriasis most of my life. but that hasn't stopped me from modeling. my doctor told me about stelara® it helps keep my skin clearer. with only 4 doses a year after 2 starter doses... ...stelara® helps me be in season. stelara® may lower your ability to fight infections and increase your risk of infections. some serious infections require hospitalization. before starting stelara®

your doctor should test for tuberculosis. stelara® may increase your risk of cancer. always tell your doctor if you have any sign of infection, have had cancer, or if you develop any new skin growths. do not take stelara® if you are allergic to stelara® or any of its ingredients. alert your doctor of new or worsening problems including headaches, seizures, confusion and vision problems. these may be signs of a rare, potentially fatal brain condition. serious allergic reactions can occur. tell your doctor if you or anyone in your house needs or has recently received a vaccine. in a medical study, most stelara® patients saw at least 75% clearer skin and the majority were rated as cleared or minimal at 12 weeks. stelara® helps keep my skin clearer. ask your doctor about stelara®.

i want to talk mythic, epic, storied, that sort of thing? welcome to asbury park. wellspring of american music of a certain time. home to, yes, the boss and the jersey national anthem, "born to run." ♪ springsteen, bon jovi, little steven. before them, there was this man -- southside johnny who, with his asbury dukes, pretty much created the template for the jersey sound. a place and really it could have only been this place that changed music and lyrics forever. ♪ asbury park. it's had a reputation as being a

happy hunting ground for musicians, what, a lot of bars? >> a lot of bars. it was the tradition of bands playing here which is funny because the town was started not to have alcohol and not that kind of music. after a while, the pressure just was too much for entertainment for people to come here. it morphed into an r&b and rock and roll haven. >> most bars don't hire musicians. >> the jersey shore, though. the jersey shore means people want entertainment. it's not just hard-drinking people. it's people on vacation in the summer. >> atlantic city didn't have that reputation. >> we're not atlantic city. we're asbury park. >> as i always like to say, good is good forever. great music, great songs, and a classic jersey sandwich. at frank's, they honor that jersey tradition of assertive layers of sliced ham, salami, pepperoni, provolone, some tomato, onions, shredded lettuce. you have your roasted peppers in there. and most important, the oil and vin radar which soak into that

-- vinegar which soaks into that fresh baked bread and married it together into a soggy, glorious delivery vehicle for deliciousness. >> here you go. >> thank you. >> enjoy. >> such a beautiful thing that they shred the lettuce and everything. >> you used to come here as a kid? >> yeah. my father would order a brass pass -- a pastrami sandwich. he could really eat. i would eat one-third of it. >> like its close cousin, atlantic city, with whom it had so much in common, suffered from much the same problems. 14 years ago, last time i came, it was a shell of itself, dye i-- dying, a sad, forlorn place. unlike atlantic city, asbury park fought to fix itself to become again the kind of place that anybody would want to live in. they didn't look for a magic bullet like casino gambling. to a great extent, they succeeded by keeping alive what

made asbury park special. they hung on to what was important. like this place -- where any overgrown child still wants to play. >> thank god. >> tilt? oh, no way. >> hit, hit, baby, hit. >> man. oh. >> this is important for children. >> i think so. your first exposure to racy images of women are all set in some sort of '20s, fetishistic alternate universe. teaches you shame -- >> and humility when you lose. >> exactly the limits of how much you can break the rules before it tilts. >> you know, i think we should have tilt for all sorts of things.

>> i think so, too. >> you step over a line in a bar talking to a young lady -- >> tilt. >> that way you know you got start again. i tilted it already. i barely touched it. >> what are they talking about? >> that's what they all say. >> wait a minute. i got it here. i got nothing. that play! need to hire fast?

go to ziprecruiter.com and post your job to over one hundred of the web's leading job boards with a single click. then simply select the best candidates from one easy to review list. and now you can use zip recruiter for free. go to ziprecruiter.com.

as i like to say, good is good forever. the atlantic ocean will always be magnificent. looking at it always a humbling, even educational experience. it teaches us that men come and go. no matter how foolish or outsized their dreams, how badly they screw up, what we do here at the ocean's edge, the sea will outlast us. will always draw us to her edges. when necessary, it will crush

us. look at the taj. it's oblivious to everything going on around it. >> yeah. >> the most butt-ugly building ever. i noticed some of the lights on the sign are out. >> yeah. >> like trup or something like that our tump or rump. it's sort of perfect. you think of trump as carnival barker. his operation is designed to attract empty -- got a perfect metaphor here. >> yeah. >> i hate sweets, but i'm a sucker for nostalgia. you can't go back, i can't go back. hell, i wouldn't even if i could. i sure don't want to ever have to be a teenager again. those tastes and smells of

childhood, they work still. you're telling me you are not a big saltwater taffy fan? >> i just remembered it was hard to chew. >> you had braces. this was problematic for that, i don't know. >> i can't remember if his braces at this point. >> i don't like candy generally, but these have a mystical hold on me. even the color of the wrapper has this weird -- like there should be weird music playing in the background. molass molasses, i remember that. certain flavors resonate. the peanut, i know exactly what that tastes like. i remember the vanilla really powerfully. like i'm not even a vanilla guy more, more of a chocolate guy. >> i think i remember pink. they must have had strawberry. wintergreen i remember. >> licorice sounds good. >> peppermints.

i'll keep these in the car. >> cookies and cream. does it melt? >> a lot of taffy. >> yeah. man, this stuff isn't fattening. eat as much as you want. >> is it gluten free? >> all natural. >> that's what i thought. >> atlantic city will never die. good is indeed good forever. atlantic city will be great again. asbury park, camden. all of my home state. i'm convinced when the tide has come and washed all the greed heads away, we'll once again be

magic. i hope i'm there to see it. the push for answers after the arrest of this key suspect in the paris terror attacks. we have team coverage this hour live from the french capital and from the scene of the dramatic capture. 88 years after the last u.s. presidential visit, barack obama gets set to touch down in cuba. we'll tell you how improved relations with washington are changing the island nation. while human rights come to the fore in havana, some are worried about restrictions right here in the united states. details of a divisive new legislation, a new bill on religious liberty in the state of georgia. live from world headquarters

in atlanta, cnn rumor starnewsr right now. good day to you. we begin with the latest on the only surviving suspect of the deadly terror attacks in paris. he made a confession, but prosecutors don't think that he is telling the whole truth. salah abdeslam said he played a key role but backed out of plans to blow himself up with a suicide bomb. police arrested him in brussels in a raid on friday. may take three month to extradite him to france. cnn is covering the story from all angles. fred pleitgen is live in belgium where the raid took place and capture. first we go to cnn's international diplomatic editor, nic robertson, with the latest on the investigation. good to have you. what more do we know about the

interrogation of abdeslam, and why do prosecutors doubt what he's saying? >> reporter: the paris prosecutor doubts it saying the account of the attack and what else was planned in paris that isis put out following the attack indicates that they were planning not only the attack on the night of november 13th, the one that closed close to 130 people, but also they were planning an attack in the 18th district of paris. now, the french prosecutor says we cannot accept the words of salah abdeslam at face value. he was planning to blow up his own suicide vest potentially with the other bombers he dropped off at the national sports stadium where a major soccer match was underway. the reason a french prosecutor says that is because after dropping them off, the car that he used to drop them off was found in the 18th district of

paris. he says that's just too much of a coincidence to overlook. he later dumped the suicide vest on the south side of paris and called friends in belgium to give him a ride back to belgium. this is just one of the many questions that the french prosecutor has. essentially saying that, you know, abdeslam has been on the run for four months. who knows what kind of stories he may concoct to get himself off on a lighter type of sentence if that were ever possible. >> right. also the desire in france to have him back on french soil, how long could that take? >> reporter: it's being thwarted at the most, abdeslam is saying, no, i'm going to fight the extradition, being under european extradition. that should make it shorter than if it was under an international extradition warrant. what the french prosecutor says is the maximum time on a

european extradition warrant is three months. salah abdeslam didn't fight it, he could be here in a matter of days, ten days even. but at the moment, the french prosecutor looks like he's going to have wait for the legal process to play out. >> nic robertson live in paris. now fred pleitgen in the neighborhood where the raid took place. what more do we know about what's happening there? we see security details in the neighborhood. is there a concern about additional raids that could happe happen? >> reporter: there is concern that further people could be hiding in the area. one of the big concerns that law enforcement has had over the years here is they felt that there were a lot of extremists in hiding. that this was a hotbed also for recruit. for instance, for belgians who would then, some of them, later on go to isis. what's been going on the past couple of days, of course, this

apartment where abdeslam was staying when he was apprehended has been searched by police. forensic work going. on at the same time, an investigation continues to go on. people here really wondering who are these people who are living in and amongst them. we went through the neighborhood here yesterday and spoke to a couple of people. many, of course, were very shocked by what was going on. many of them said they couldn't believe that there were people who were radicals, who were in this neighborhood. it is, of course, a neighborhood with a large muslim population. and the vast majority of them, of course, very moderate and want to have nothing to do with this. the vast majority of them told us that they are happy that salah abdeslam is in custody. that this part of it is finally over. many of them are concerned that there were so many weapons found in the process. i spoke to the mayor that acknowledged there's a big problem with. this she thinks a two-pronged approach is something this neighborhood will have to conduct in the future. there needs to be the law

enforcement aspect, probably additional raids, additional police work. but the same time, of course, there's a social aspect to this, as well to try and stop people from going into the fangs of organizations that might be linked to groups like isis in the future, to make sure that the bad reputation that this neighborhood has at this point is something that's fought off and this place gets on to a very different track than it has been over the past couple of years. >> i want to push further on that point, the two-pronged approach. how do investigators go through the process of building trust with people to learn more information that's needed? >> reporter: it is very difficult. one of the things you raise is very interesting. abdeslam was on the run for a long time. he was on the run for four months. there was no indication from the information we have that authorities knew where he was.

that shows they don't have much of an inroad into the neighborhood. they don't get very much information from this neighborhood. in the end, they thought he might have fled to syria. that he might have fled to another country in europe. it turned out that he was actually in hiding only a few streets from where he grew up. so certainly the law enforcement sfroex to build new capabilities -- folks have to build new capabilities aside from the police work they do anyway. then, of course, you have the social aspect i was talking about where generally there needs to be a process where the state institutions but generally the community as a whole combats extremism in a way that shows especially the young people here in this neighborhood a different path to make sure they don't go on the path to radicalization as some of the people in this neighborhood have. we always have to point out that even in this neighborhood, it is a small fraction of people who go on that path, who go in this wrong direction. and by and large, the people we've been seeing on the streets, people we've been

talking to are moderate people. people who just want to live their lives and are just as shocked as anyone else as some of the things that have transpired here over the past couple of months. >> very important point to point out. fred pleitgen live in belgium. nic robertson live in france. gentlemen, we appreciate the reporting from both of you today. we move on to russia and the ongoing investigation into the fiery crash of fly dubai flight 981. mourners have been leaving flowers at the airport where the boeing 737 went down on saturday. the plane killing 62 people on board. investigators combing through the charred debris. authorities say weather, human error, and technical issues are all being considered as possible factors for this fiery crash. we go live now abu dhabi, cnn's john jensen following the investigation. good to have you. so terrorism has been ruled out. but it seems that there's some evidence that weather may have played a factor here. >> reporter: that's right, george. weather seems to be the main

factor and main focus of the investigation at the moment. we know at the time of the crash and the two hours the plane circled over the airport that visibility was very low, there was a mixture of snow and rain in the air. the wind was a major factor, as well. we understand that the gusts were upwards of 90 kilometers per hour. that's quite fast. the pilots appeared to be concerned by that weather. according to new audio that was released on a russian news site. we can't independently verify the audio, but it's apparently communication between the pilots and tower at the airport. in the audio, you can hear the air traffic controller asking the pilot how is the weather, sir? the pilot then responds that there's low visibility and moderate wind shear. we can't verify the authenticity, and we don't know at what point the audio was recorded in the flight. george, all of this should become more clear in the coming weeks and months as

investigators go through the two flight recorders. both of which we now understand are in moscow under review. >> for viewers in the united states, tell us a bit more about the airline, those who may not know about fly dubai. what's the safety record for this airline? what do we know about the pilots of the plane? >> reporter: george, fly dubai is a low cost or budget carrier based in dubai down the road from where we are. it started in 2009, and frankly, they have a very good safety record. there have been no major incidents since they started flying. all of their fleet, about 5 50 737800s, are relatively new. the plane involved was purchased just in 2011. and we understand that it passed recently a fairly comprehensive safety check. yesterday from the ceo that its pilots, one from cypress, one from spain, were "quite experienced." both had accumulated some 6,000

hours of flying time. georg george? >> no doubt families dealing with the loss of loved ones. what support are they getting from the airline? >> reporter: there were four nationalities, 44 russians, eight ukrainians, two indians, and one person from uzbekistan. among the dead are four children. now the airline has said just earlier that they would offer $20,000 roughly in the form of financial assistance for the hardships that these families of the passengers may face in the coming days and weeks. the russian government has also said it will give $15,000. this is not compensation. it's just hardship assistance for all the families involved to deal with this tragedy in the next coming days. georg

george? >> john, the video of people laying flowers there. live from abu dhabi. we appreciate your reporting. no one has claimed responsibility for a suicide attack that killed four people in a very busy tourist area of istanbul. among the dead, two israeli american citizens and a third israeli and iranian. 36 people were wounded in this blast. our senior international correspondent, arwa damon, has details for us from istanbul. >> reporter: instead of the throngs of people, both turks and tourists who would normally be packing the street, now it has been almost entirely sealed off following a suicide attack. this street is one of istanbul's main pedestrian thoroughfares. it's filled with restaurants and shops. it's located in the heart of the city. and this is one of the areas that the authorities had issued a warning about, saying that there was a fairly high

potential that some sort of an attack would be taking place here following threats from a pkk offshoot. the kurdish separatist group, that they would be carrying out more attacks after last sunday's deadly and devastating bombing in the capital, ankara. this explosion happening at about mid morning at the entrance of one of the side streets that sells fish and other fresh produce. it was quickly almost immediately sealed off. ambulances rushing to the scene. police pushing people as far pack as -- as far back as they could, certain good a possible secondary explosion. helicopters hours later still buzzing overhead. as we were walking back down one of the side streets, we saw a woman who was desperately speaking with the police. she later told us she was waiting for news of her brother. he was somewhere on the street when the explosion took place. and she did not know what it happened to him. this type of violence has become

sadly fairly routine, especially in istanbul and in anchoera. this is a population that at this stage is feeling phenomenally vulnerable, facing threats on multiple fronts. arwa damon, cnn, istanbul. you are watching "cnn newsroom." still ahead this hour, as tensions escalate on the korean peninsula, the united states is showing its military strength with one of the largest war machines in its arsenal. cnn gets exclusive access to the aircraft carrier coming up. plus, a historic moment between cuba and the u.s. barack obama will become the first sitting u.s. president to visit cuba in over eight decades. it's 5:14 on the east coast now. "cnn newsroom" continues live. covergirl makes flawless as easy as... one... "tru"... three. now there's a gorgeous trublend face for each of us one: new trublend primer it hides pores, preps and smooths skin two: trublend makeup matches 99% of skin tones.

three: new trublend blush and bronzer - a baked blend to get you glowing! find your trublend it's easy as 1 tru 3 easy breezy beautiful covergirl. and i want to remind you that no one's the same without the game. take @youwishcommish8 for instance. he writes, "as commissioner of my fantasy league, i'm thinking about moving the draft up... to next week. too early?" commish, the season is a ways out. months in fact. no rosters are set, the draft hasn't even happened yet, and not a single free agent has been signed. so, it is too early? ...yes it is. dial it back, commish... way back. testing, testing... 1, 2, 3, 4... ♪ ♪look out honey... ♪because i'm using technology...♪ ♪ ♪ain't got time to make no apologies...♪

♪ ♪soul radiation in the dead of night...♪ ♪love in the middle of a fire fight...♪ ♪ ♪honey gotta strike me blind... ♪somebody gotta save my soul... ♪baby penetrates my mind... ♪ ♪ [cheering] ♪and i'm the world's forgotten boy...♪ ♪ ♪the one who's searchin'... ♪searchin' to destroy... ♪ ♪and honey i'm the world's forgotten boy...♪ ♪ incredible bladder prthat lets from always diyou move like you mean it now comes with an incredible promise. the always discreet double your money back guarantee. always discreet is for bladder leaks and it's drier than poise.

try it. we're so confident you'll love it, we'll give you double your money back if you don't. incredible bladder protection. double your money back guarantee. that's always discreet. history in havana. are you looking at preparations in cuba ahead of the historic visit of u.s. president barack obama. beginning sunday, mr. obama is set to meet with raul castro, to attend a baseball game, and to talk to anti-government activists. the u.s. has lifted some trade and travel restrictions, but cubans are hurting under the ongoing economic embargo. mr. obama's visit to cuba symbolizes the re-establishment of u.s. relations with the island nation. in a cnn exclusive, our patrick otman sat down with cuba's lead

negotiator who played a key role in bringing both sides together. >> reporter: how involved has president castro been with the normalization process? >> previously, president fidel castro and after him, president raul casted row, they both have advocated in favor of a building of new relationship between cuba and the united states. this process started in december of 2014 under the leadership of raul castro. of course, he had a leading role in that process. and he continues, you know, living that process. >> there's obviously a sense of respect between presidents obama and castro. do you think they like each other? is there a chemistry as we say? >> i think there is a respect. undoubtedly, there is respect. you saw this, and i saw this during the summit of the americas in panama, how president raul casted row

addressed to president -- castro addressed to president obama, recognizing that after president jimmy carter he's been the only one in our past history who has decided to begin a process toward normalization of relations with cuba. >> have you been able to find common ground with the u.s. on the issue of human rights? >> we can speak frankly and openly about the differences of conceptions that we have, but note with the idea that we will change you or you will change us because it will be finally up to our populations which are sovereign to the site what kind of model, what kind of government they consider is better for them. >> and if she were alive, will she be in favor of normalization? >> i would say that he was not different from us, thinking that even with the difference that's we have, it's beneficial for

cuba and the united states to have normal relations. bringing cuba and the u.s. even closer together, direct postal services between the countries has now resumed. robin kurnow spoke with the cuban president who received a letter from the president of the united states, barack obama himself. >> reporter: a quiet corner with its own piece of history. this cuban grandmother holds a letter from american president barack obama. one of the first pieces of mail to make it directly from the u.s. to cuba in half a century. the white house released this photo of the president, signing it in the oval office. >> to think that i would be expecting a letter in that mail and from the president himself, oh, my food. not in my dreams. >> reporter: ileana says she's written to obama five times, offering him coffee at her home. finally, he replied. >> dear ileana, i'm looking ford

visiting havana to foster the relationship and highlight our shared values, and hopefully i will have time to enjoy a cup of cuban coffee. >> reporter: even the envelope is weighted with symbolism. official white house correspondence delivered to an address that when translated means place of the revolution. for many cubans like this, this letter and the president's trip is seen as a long-awaited acknowledgment that u.s. policy for the past 50 years was a mistake. >> i can die in peace because i heard in my lifetime an american president say that the embargo did not work. >> reporter: slowly changes are coming. perhaps not as fast as both governments would like, but still welcomed. at this havana post office, letters sent to the united states had to be routed via a third country. now the direct service delivery will take about two weeks, say the postal workers here. after the president's visit, she

wants to write back. she knows what she'll say. >> thank you for writing me back. such a beautiful letter. thank you for coming to cuba. >> reporter: a thank you and standing offer to still come over for a cup of cuban coffee. robin kurnow, cnn, havana, cuba. >> a letter from the president himself. very cool for her. stay tuned to cnn, of course, for continuing coverage of this historic visit of the u.s. president, barack obama, to cuba, beginning at 11:00 a.m. eastern time and throughout the day. join us for special coverage from havana only on cnn. switching to weather conditions in the u.s. where an aptly named march nor'easter is on track to bring snow, rain, and gusty winds to the northeast and mid-atlantic starting this weekend. meteorologist derek van dam joins us to talk more about this. you know, things are starting to warm up for people. >> it doesn't look like that's going to be the case this go

round. today is the first official day of spring. full disclosure, george, i'm particularly interested in this potential of a nor'easter because, well, i'm supposed to coincidently fly out at the same time as this is supposed to hit the city that i will fly to. >> you were tracking this especially closely? >> yes. i think people along the east coast should. they know how fickle these storms can be because they can change on a moment's notice, and it's all about the placement of that low pressure system. especially this latest in the system, the track of that low can differ by hundreds of miles, and that will either reduce or remove the chance of snowfall or reduce the snow totals in the major cities along the new england coast. we're talking washington, d.c., philadelphia, new york, and boston. that's the major areas, that i-95 corridor, that is so heavily traveled, it looks like it will be impacted in some way, shape, or form. just how much, that is the key question. i've broken down four

individuals cities, new york, d.c., philly, and boston. and we've compared side by side the snow totals from the various models. the american model, the european model. this is calling for a dry day in d.c., or at least warm enough to keep this all rain. no snow expected there. for new york city, we could get a light dusting to perhaps upwards of two inches of snow. you can see as we head into the boston region, our computers are in con sense us that we should experience four to upwards of six inches of snowfall on the ground. that late season smack with, well, what we wouldn't call the most welcome news. i think by this time of the year, people want to say good-bye and good riddance to winter. we'll have to hold on just a few more days because again we are going to be impacted by this, especially into nantucket, connecticut, as well as the rhode island region. that's where we're really focusing our attention. again, philly to new york, depending on which computer

model you look at, maybe that light dusting of snowfall, just to freshen things up a bit, for about maybe 24 hours. and temperatures will warm up after that. the snow will melt quickly. d.c., again, not anticipating any snowfall from this particular storm. it's starting to gather steam. the high-reolution forecast radar. what we'll start to see is the low deepen off the east coast. it's all about how close it makes its way toward the coast that's going to help determine where the rain/snow line is. one thing's for shore. this is going to drop our temperatures considerably over the east coast. we've been enjoying the spring weather, temperatures in the 70s. that won't be the case anymore, especially from late tonight and on into sunday and monday. things will drastically cool down. that's goingtime pact things like the -- going to impact things like the cherry festival that is ongoing across the capital. here's our temperatures -- by the way, this is celsius, if you need to convert this, it's fairly easy. we're all above freezing. washington, d.c., thinking temperatures today around 45

degrees. here's a picture across washington, d.c. the nation's capital. cherry blossoms, they in jeopardy? that's the big question. we are expecting their earliest peak bloom since 2012, as a result of the above average temperatures they've enjoyed there. the national cherry blossom festival runs from march 20th to april 17th. they expect the peak bloom to be reached this week, between the 23rd and 24th. people will be making a mad dash to washington, d.c., just to get a glimpse of the beautiful, beautiful cherry blossoms because it really is a sight to see. >> derek, people on the east coast are prepared to freeze, are you headed somewhere warm? >> i am headed to the southern hemisphere this time to see family and friends in south africa. >> enjoy the weather. >> thank you. i will. >> thank you very much. >> all right. this is "cnn newsroom." still ahead this hour -- u.s. president barack obama has had a few comments about the tone of the current election campaign. and now he is not hesitatesing

to say who he feels is responsible. the man you see there. plus, the u.s. continues its joint military drills with south korea. and cnn gets exclusive access to one of the largest war machines in the u.s. arsenal that is taking part in these exercises. we are live throughout the united states and around the world this hour, you're watching "cnn newsroom." d time, you can get a great deal on this passat. wow, it looks really good... volkswagen believes safety is very important... so all eleven models come standard with an intelligent crash response system... hmm. ...seven stability-enhancing systems... hmmm... ...and equipment for two child seats. hmmm... for those who take safety seriously. like we do. the volkswagen safety in numbers event... is happening now! get a $1,250 volkswagen reward card and 0% apr on new 2016 passat models. i've heard it all. eat more fiber. flax seeds. yogurt. get moving. keep moving. i know!

try laxatives. been there, done that. my chronic constipation keeps coming back. i know. tell me something i don't know. vo: linzess works differently from laxatives. linzess treats adults with ibs with constipation or chronic constipation. it can help relieve your belly pain, and lets you have more frequent and complete bowel movements that are easier to pass. do not give linzess to children under six and it should not be given to children six to seventeen. it may harm them. don't take linzess if you have a bowel blockage. get immediate help if you develop unusual or severe stomach pain, especially with bloody or black stools. the most common side effect is diarrhea sometimes severe. if it's severe stop taking linzess and call your doctor right away. other side effects include gas, stomach-area pain and swelling. talk to your doctor about managing your symptoms proactively with linzess.

shoshow me more like this.e. show me "previously watched." what's recommended for me. x1 makes it easy to find what you love. call or go online and switch to x1. only with xfinity. welcome back to our viewers in the united states and around the world. are you watching "cnn newsroom." it is good to have you with us. i'm george howell. the headlines we're following this hour -- a new confession from the only surviving suspect of the deadly terror attack in

paris. salah abdeslam says he provided logistical support and backed out of plans to set off a suicide bomb in the november attacks that killed 130 people. he now sits in a belgium prison, awaiting extradition to france. investigators are combing through the charred wreckage of the fly dubai passenger jet that crashed at a russian airport on saturday. the focus now is on weather, on human error, and technical issues as possible causes for this crash. mourners, meanwhile, are leaving flowers at a makeshift memorial. all 62 people on that plane died. prince harry kicked off his five-day trip to nepal by attending a reception with the country's deputy prime minister. during his visited, he plans to take a look at how the country is recovering since an earthquake that struck last year. that quake killing more than 8,000 people. 2016 also marks 200 years of bilateral relations between the u.k. and nepal. protests broke out on the campaign trail for u.s.

presidential candidate donald trump this weekend. take a look. this was the scene near his building in new york saturday. trump was in arizona himself. supporters on their way to a rally there were faced with a roadblock by protests, and a man was punched and kicked at another rally. democratic candidate bernie sanders was also in arizona on saturday. he had some sharp criticism for donald trump. mr. sanders spoke in a town along a u.s./mexico border while promising to reform u.s. immigration policy. he referred to trump's controversial comments about mexicans entering the united states as being rapists and criminals. >> to insultan entire nation is not befitting of anybody let alone a candidate for president of the united states. our job as always is to bring people together, not drive them

apart. >> u.s. president barack obama is also criticizing donald trump and his behavior on the campaign trail as cnn senior washington correspondent jeff zeleny reports for us. mr. obama is not holding back his opinion on this. [ cheers ] >> reporter: he's not on the ballot, but his legacy is on the line. >> hello! >> reporter: president obama is gearing up for a campaign of his own against donald trump. feeling little sympathy for the plight of the gop. >> this guy, remember, who was sure that i was born in kenya. who just wouldn't let it go. and all the same republican establishment, they weren't saying nothing. as long as it was directed at e me, they were fine with it. >> reporter: the president on the sidelines of the democratic primary fight, even though his preference for hillary clinton is one of the worst-kept secrets in washington. he's all in to stop trump.

his tone is shifting from dismissive -- >> i think they recognize that being president is a serious job. it's not hosting a talk show or a reality show -- >> reporter: to dead serious. >> i know i'm not the only one in this room who may be more than a little i did m-- little dismayed about what's happening on the campaign trail. we've heard language that's vulgar and dismissive at women and minorities. americans who don't look like us or pray like us or vote like we do. [ applause ] >> reporter: in five years, trump has gone from presidential punch line -- >> say what you will about mr. trump. he certainly would bring some change to the white house. see what we've got up there. >> reporter: now within reach of the presidency, which obama is increasingly working against.

>> during primaries, people vent and express themselves. seems like entertainment, but as you get closer, reality has a way of intruding. >> reporter: the president is gradually expressing himself. >> i think i will have a democratic successor and will campaign to make that happen. >> reporter: the question is when voters are looking for change, just as they were eight years ago when he swept into office. so the question is, how could president obama actually help the democratic nominee? his popularity ratings aren't exactly soaring. democrats say the answer is this -- he can re-energize and thus those obama coalition, the young voters, hispanic voters, african-american voters, regardless of who wins the nomination, they will both need help on that front. jeff zeleny, cnn, washington. be sure to tune in to cnn as all remaining five presidential candidates, democrats and republicans, sit down with our own wolf blitzer and anderson cooper. five different conversations,

one very important night. monday at 8:00 p.m. eastern, midnight in london, only here on cnn. now here in the u.s. state of georgia, a proposed measure known as the religious liberty bill, is causing a great deal of controversy, and it could end up costing the state a super bowl bid. critics say it would allow discrimination against gays and lesbians. cnn's nick valencia has more on what supporters and business owners are saying to politicians. >> reporter: this is 2016. they've just taken us back to the 1800s. >> reporter: kelvin williams is angry. the southern business owner says the religious liberty bill will ruin opportunities for his telecommunications business and discriminate against many others like him. williams is gay. >> going to protect anybody who feels like discriminating. i don't see where it's actually going to protect anybody from being discriminated against.

>> reporter: house bill 757 passed both bills of the legislature fundamental signed into law, it would protect faith-based organization who's do not hire or host gays and lesbians because of their religious beliefs. as written, the legislation will provide a claim or defense to persons whose religious exercise is substantially burdened by government. >> the only discrimination i see going forward is if the governor refuses to sign this bill. >> reporter: senator mike crane is one of the bill's most adamant supporters. he, too, is a small business owner and is currently running for u.s. congress. >> there's an undermining of religious freedom in this nation. the christian communities in particular is really the group that's going to be discriminated against if the states don't stand up and say this -- this liberty is important. >> reporter: if george's bill sounds familiar, it's because it is. in 2014, arizona legislature made an attempt at a religious restoration act after intense pressure from athletic

organizations, corporations, and even some republicans, it failed. >> i have vetoed senate bill 1062 moments ago. >> reporter: in 2015, it was indiana's turn, and after much debate, governor pens signed it into law. supporters like this small business owner were thrilled. >> i think it protects me from the government forcing me to do something that's against my will. >> reporter: the governor later signed a revised bill which seeks to prevent businesses from discriminating against anything based on sexual orientation. back in georgia, critics of the bill worry about the economic consequences to the state, especially to georgia's booming movie industry, tourism and sports. atlanta is currently bidding to host the 2019 super bowl, opponents to the bill like atlanta convention and visitors bureau ceo william pate says h.b. 757 will him the state's chances at a-- will limit the state's chances at attracting investors like the nfl. >> if legislation if it becomes law will have a significant

impact on our business. and i think it will have significant impact on other businesses in the state. >> reporter: how much? >> as much as $6 million, and might be $3 billion. >> reporter: governor deal has until may to decide if he'll sign the bill into law. if he does, for kelvin williams, the answer of how to deal with it is simple -- in a symbolic gesture this week, his business of 20 employees reincorporated in delaware. personally, he says he may be leaving the state, too. >> i'm actually in the process of talking to a realtor and looking at selling my house and packing up and leaving. >> reporter: nick valencia, cnn, atlanta. u.s. forces are taking part in what seoul calls the largest ever joint military exercises in south korea. the drills come as tensions escalate on the korean peninsula. north korea launched more ballistic missiles on friday. the second time in just eight days. our ivan watson reports from

aboard a u.s. aircraft carrier off the korean peninsula. >> reporter: that's an f-18 warplane. it's just taking off from the deck of the u.s. aircraft carrier "john c. stennis." currently sailing in waters off the east of the korean peninsula. this carrier strike group is here as part of annual joint military exercises with south korea. but this is a time of great tension on the korean peninsula. north korea argues that these exercises could be a precursor to a military invasion. north korea has launched missiles twice in just eight days. that's a move that's been seen

as provocative and threatening. not only by the u.s., japan, and south korea, but also by the united nations security council. they say this is in violation of many u.n. security council resolutions which prohibit north from testing nuclear weapons or firing ballistic missiles. the u.s. is trying to reassure allies in the region while also sending a warning of deterrence to north korea. the aircraft carrier is the largest war machine in the u.s. arsenal. by sending it to the region, this is an unmistakable show of military strength. ivan watson, cnn, aboard the u.s. aircraft carrier "john c. stennis." in cuba, the remnants of a criminal empire still stand, and now the heirs of an american mobster want to be compensated.

plus, a teenager who escaped the war it syria has a new dream in her sights. she crossed the sea to survive and now is focused on olympic gold. stay with us.

i think we should've taken a tarzan know where tarzan go! tarzan does not know where tarzan go. hey, excuse me, do you know where the waterfall is? waterfall? no, me tarzan,

king of jungle. why don't you want to just ask somebody? if you're a couple, you fight over directions. it's what you do. if you want to save fifteen percent or more on car insurance, you switch to geico. oh ohhhhh it's what you do. ohhhhhh! do you have to do that right in my ear? ♪ no, you're not ♪ yogonna watch it! ♪tch it! ♪ ♪ we can't let you download on the goooooo! ♪

♪ you'll just have to miss it! ♪ yeah, you'll just have to miss it! ♪ ♪ we can't let you download... uh, no thanks. i have x1 from xfinity so... don't fall for directv. xfinity lets you download your shows from anywhere. i used to like that song. [ speaking native language ] 10:45 in vatican city. you see live pictures of pope francis celebrating palm sunday mass in st. peter's square joined by thousands of christians. paup sunday is the -- palm sunday is the last sunday before easter and marks the start of the holy week commemorating the citizen tree of jesus jerusalem.

in jerusalem, christians will take part in a procession from the mount of olives to the old city. the last time a sitting u.s. president visited cuba was more than eight decades ago. in the coming hours, president barack obama will arrive in hive after re-establishing u.s. relations with the island nation. mr. obama is expected to meet with cuban president raul castro. he's expected to attend a baseball game and to talk to anti-government activists there. the u.s. has lifted some trade and travel restrictions. the white house is hoping the concessions could lead to an improvement in cuba's human rights situation. for the first time since the 1959 cuban revolution, a u.s. hotel company has signed a deal there. starwood hotels and resorts worldwide will operate the hotel you see in this video under their luxury brand. the company will also run another hotel as a four points

by sheraton. the company received special permission from the united states to negotiate the multimillion-dollar deal. and cuba is strikingly different than when fidel castro took power in 1959. back then, american interests were seized, and many business owners left out of pocket. as our patrick ottman tells us, the relatives of one american mobster are demanding compensation for the criminal empire lost to the cuban revolution. figure about a year, he'd of been paid off as far as the investment. and he didn't get that year. >> reporter: gary rapoport remembers his grandfather's hotel in havana. the hotel rivera. when it was built in 1957, the rivera was one of cuba's most luxurious hotels. the riviera catered to the american jetset who wanted a swanky hotel, a place to play blackjack with an ocean view. the party ended when fidel castro took power and sent

people packing. meyer lanski was the brains of the american mafia. he raked in a fortune from bootlegging and gambling. so notorious, a character based on him appeared in "the godfather part 2." >> this is the business we've chosen. >> reporter: lanski said he went broke when castro seized his investments. pursued by the u.s. government for decades, lanski died in 1983. he never put in a claim for the properties he lost in the communist-run island. now the ties are warming between u.s. and cuba, lanski's son and daughter want the cuban government to pay them for what they took away. >> i think it owes us. i mean, i think -- and i'm speaking from for my -- for my mom and uncle pap and myself. we're remainders of the state of meyer lanski. they owed meyer lanski. >> reporter: officials are willing to settle with the family owed property, but it's owed millions in damages from

the u.s. trade embargo. it's hard to imagine them paying money to the family of a mobster. one roadmap could be that the cuban government views the mob hotels as symbols of vice and corruption. they were confiscated rather than nationalized, officials say, making it much less likely that the government here would ever pay compensation for the hotel rivera. lanski's daughter and grandson live simply in florida. they inherited lanski's notoriety but little of his alleged ill-gotten gains. >> there was a lot in the estate that never got to us. do we cry about it? no, we're lanskis, we just move on. >> reporter: the rivera hotel remains just out of reach for his family. it is a shadow of its former self, waiting for perhaps another wealthy foreign investor to return lanski's hotel to its former glory. patrick ottman, cnn, havana. >> history in havana. be sure to stay with us for

continuing coverage of this visit of the u.s. president barack obama to cuba. begins at 11:00 a.m. eastern time and throughout the day, you can join us for special coverage from havana. only on cnn. this is "cnn newsroom." ahead, a girl who survived the war in syria now has her eyes on the olympics. this swim her to cross the sea to get to europe, and now she has another dream. incredible bladder protection from always discreet that lets you move like you mean it now comes with an incredible promise. the always discreet double your money back guarantee. always discreet is for bladder leaks and it's drier than poise. try it. we're so confident you'll love it, we'll give you double your money back if you don't. incredible bladder protection. double your money back guarantee. that's always discreet.

it took joel silverman years to become a master dog trainer. but only a few commands to master depositing checks at chase atms. technology designed for you. so you can easily master the way you bank. testing, testing... 1, 2, 3, 4... ♪

♪look out honey... ♪because i'm using technology...♪ ♪ ♪ain't got time to make no apologies...♪ ♪ ♪soul radiation in the dead of night...♪ ♪love in the middle of a fire fight...♪ ♪ ♪honey gotta strike me blind... ♪somebody gotta save my soul... ♪baby penetrates my mind... ♪ ♪ [cheering] ♪and i'm the world's forgotten boy...♪ ♪ ♪the one who's searchin'... ♪searchin' to destroy... ♪ ♪and honey i'm the world's forgotten boy...♪ ♪ and i want to remind you that no one's the same without the game. like @flagdad28, who tweets,

"in a recent flag football game with my family, i ran up the score, pick-sixed my daughter 3 times, and blocked 8 punts. did i cross a line? flag, i get it. you simply wanted to recreate the thrill of the nfl... all over your family. don't fret: training camp opens soon. but, it might be a good time to spring for a puppy. shall we say, unnecessarily complex.h back cards are, limiting where you can earn bonus cash back... then those places change every few months... please. it's time you got the quicksilver card from capital one. quicksilver earns you unlimited 1.5% cash back on every purchase, everywhere. doesn't get much simpler than that. what's in your wallet?

welcome back to "cnn newsroom." i'm george howell. a teenage girl who made the dangerous journey from syria to berlin now has a new life and new ambition. she crossed one body of water to survive a war, but now she's looking to waters again, this time for an olympic win. cnn's zain asher has her story. >> reporter: a swimmer from syria, once a refugee, now an olympic hopeful. just seven months ago, yusra fled the civil war in her home country, leaving the syrian capital of damascus with her sister, making the dangerous sea crossing to greece. then trekking several weeks

across europe to germany. >> it was really hard for everyone. >> reporter: now she's living in berlin, going to school. swimming at a pool near her refugee center, training with a coach and determined to make it to the olympics this summer. >> the problem was the reason of why i am here and why i am stronger and i want to reach my goals. >> reporter: the 17-year-old, she's already an accomplished athlete. she represented her country at the swimming world championships in turkey in 2012 but says training in syria was challenging. >> sometimes we couldn't train because of the war. or sometimes we had a training, and there was a bombing in the swimming pool. >> reporter: now that she's left the war behind, mardini hopes to qualify for rio as a refugee athlete. >> in the water, there is no difference if you're refugee or syrian or -- or german. >> reporter: she says swimming at the olympics would be a dream

come true and a chance to inspire people across the world. >> everyone is excited, and they want to see what i'm going to do and me, too, actually. >> reporter: and if she is selected, she'll be part of the ioc's very first team of refugee athletes. zain asher, cnn, atlanta. >> such fortitude. we wish her the best. we thank you for watching this hour. i'm george howell at the cnn center in atlanta. "new day" in the u.s. is heed. for the rest around the world, "best of quest." we leave with pictures of palm sunday celebrations at the vatican live from vatican city. [ speaking native language ] ♪ cariwith alzheimer's means i am a lot of things.

i am her best friend. i am her ally. so i asked about adding once-daily namenda xr to her current treatment for moderate to severe alzheimer's. it works differently. when added to another alzheimer's treatment, it may improve overall function and cognition. and may slow the worsening of symptoms for a while. vo: namenda xr doesn't change how the disease progresses. it shouldn't be taken by anyone allergic to memantine, or who's had a bad reaction to namenda xr or its ingredients. before starting treatment, tell their doctor if they have, or ever had, a seizure disorder, difficulty passing urine, liver, kidney or bladder problems, and about medications they're taking. certain medications, changes in diet, or medical conditions may affect the amount of namenda xr in the body and may increase side effects. the most common side effects are headache, diarrhea, and dizziness. all my life, she's been there for me. now i am giving back. ask their doctor about once-daily namenda xr and learn about a free trial offer at namendaxr.com. for a limited time, great deal on this passat. wow, it looks really good...

volkswagen believes safety is very important... so all eleven models come standard with an intelligent crash response system... hmm. ...seven stability-enhancing systems... hmmm... ...and equipment for two child seats. hmmm... for those who take safety seriously. like we do. thvolkswagen safety in numbers event... is happening now! get a $1,250 volkswagen reward card and 0% apr on new 2016 passat models. ifor all the wrong reasons.gical you may be muddling through allergies. try zyrtec® for powerful allergy relief. and zyrtec® is different than claritin®. because it starts working faster on the first day you take it. try zyrtec®. muddle no more®.

watching tvs get sharper, oh remotes, you've had it tough. bigger, smugger. and you? rubbery buttons. enter the x1 voice remote. now when someone says... show me funny movies. watch discovery. record this. voila. remotes you are back. the x1 voice remote is here.

x1 customers get your voice remote by visiting xfinty.com/voiceremote. -- captions by vitac -- www.vitac.com